That may not help; I've seen photos of whiskers that were 0.5" long; plenty long enough to short out sockets for tube-pins.BTW, as recently as six years ago, I used to take part in a weekly nation-wide conference-call (started by a major USA manufacturer) solely dedicated to the whisker-problem; since retiring, I don't know if it is happening.73 Jerry KM3K

That may not help; I've seen photos of whiskers that were 0.5" long; plenty long enough to short out sockets for tube-pins.

I should think that the high voltage passing through such a tiny filament would keep it safely melted off and at bay while affecting the circuit hardly at all. Such is not so much the case with today's tiny low-voltage solid state circuitry.

It's not high voltage that opens the whiskers, it's high current. You aren't likely to find whiskers forming across a 12VDC 20A power circuit on solid state gear. On the other hand, whiskers could form across high impedance signal lines like grid circuits of tube preamps.

It's not high voltage that opens the whiskers, it's high current. You aren't likely to find whiskers forming across a 12VDC 20A power circuit on solid state gear. On the other hand, whiskers could form across high impedance signal lines like grid circuits of tube preamps.

My understanding is that they use lead free solder for plumbing because of concerns of the lead leaching into drinking water. I would have thought that antimony leaching into the water would be just as bad for you - or is it a case that where it would have been 50 or 60% lead, it's only 1 or 2% of antimony?

K8AXW, Sorry about the spelling. Yes it is Antimony. In fact I have the solder in front of me. It is made by Oatey and contains 95 percent Tin and 5 percent Antimony. Its just listed as general perpose solder. I am a retired engineering technician that worked in the field for more then 50 years. If I have not been affected by now by the lead in the solder I used for all the years. I am definitely not concerned about it now. I still feel the lead free solder is next to useless.

95/5 Sn/Sb (tin/antimony, prob. solid core) is a common plumbing solder for Cu tubing; less costly than Sn/Ag (~3.5% silver). Electronic solders seem to run to tin/silver/copper three metal alloys for lower melt ~217C than either Sn/Ag or Sn/Cu alloys, and especially lower than 95/5 at 240C liquidus.

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